(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to golf ball retrieval devices and, more particularly, to rakes which are adapted to retrieve golf balls from water hazards.
(2) Prior Art
Golfing is a sport which send its balls into long hits and often into undesirable locations. Golf balls are often hit into "the rough" or tall vegetation or small ponds, water hazards, or the like.
Retrieving rakes are known in the golfing field and are relatively common. The known rakes, however, do not always work well in water hazards, which include grass or other vegetation in the water.
Examples of typical retrieval rakes are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,981 to Wilson, which has a plurality of U-shaped fingers and a sliding bar for the spaced apart control thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,987 to Hurtgam has a rigid C-shaped head and lower stabilizing bar which holds its legs in a fixed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,894 to Dubow shows a rake having outer prongs with closed loops and inner prongs having distal ends which bend sharply upwardly toward the handle of the rake.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,168 to Petrillo discloses a rectangular, rigid housing on a handle which acts to hold a collection of balls therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,260 to Racicot shows a plurality of spaced rigid U-shaped fingers at the end of a handle, each of the fingers having a triangularly-shaped, closed loop at the distal end thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,437,368 to Anderson shows a handle with a transversely extending coil spring on its distal end, the spring coil being pivotable so as to fold on its handle.
Design U.S. Pat. No. 206,076 shows a rake with a plurality of curved fingers fixed at their proximal ends to a handle and at their distal ends by a connector bar.
The rakes of the prior art do not appreciate the problems encounterable in water hazards having vegetation of heavy grass therein.
It is therefore an object of the present invention, to provide a golf ball retrieval device which can overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a golf ball retrieval rake which works well in vegetation to ensnare lost golf balls in a manner superior to that of the prior art.